Falling Over Me
by Apparently Awesome
Summary: Maura can't bring herself to tell Jane how she feels so her cousin decides to give her a little push... or a big one. However you choose to consider it.


So this is that second Maura/ story I was going to post yesterday. I guess I was on a roll because right after I finished writing Why Don't You & I, I got this idea. I was still listening to my mp3 player and Falling Over Me began playing, and it's not a songfic, nor do I believe that I synced the story with the song, which is probably a first for me... but I do use the line in the begining that sparked the idea for this. 

_Who you are is everything I need_

_I'm hoping _

_I'm waiting _

_I'm praying you are the one_

Maura sighed hopelessly and closed her laptop. She was too distracted to shop for shoes.

"What's wrong with you, Maura?"

Maura looked up at the sound of her adoptive cousin's voice. He was mainly the only person from her adoptive family who she spent any time with, only calling her parents maybe twice a month and on holidays. Francis was considered the black sheep of the family for being gay and outspoken and Maura was a bit of an outcast too due to her lack of people skills so they spent a lot of time together as kids during family any get together.

"It's nothing," Maura said.

Francis raised a well groomed eyebrow at her and smirked. Besides Jane, he knew Maura better than she knew herself.

"I just have something on my mind. It's a bit distracting."

"It's distracting you from online shoe shopping? It must be serious."

"It's nothing bad," she assured him.

"Is it work? Are you thinking about work?" he asked her.

Maura raised an eyebrow as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Maura, you'd rather work than spend time with me?" he questioned with a pout.

"No, Francis, I'm enjoying this bonding time. It's not work, it's more of… someone."

Francis pout turned into a huge grin as he sat up on Maura's bed. He sat cross-legged beside her turning his full attention to Maura.

"Ooh, spill!"

"It's nothing to get excited over, she doesn't even think of me in that way," Maura said with a hint of sadness.

"She? As in a woman?"

Francis felt like he could die and go to heaven. He had a cousin who was also gay and enjoyed fashion as much as he did.

"Women are the only people we prefer to as she or her," Maura told him, "Unless talking about a man who had transgender surgery to change-"

"Don't you go all encyclopedia on me, Maura, tell me about her!"

"Well, she's tall, dark hair, brown eyes-"

"Maura, I swear!"

Maura knew where this was going and decided to just give him what he wanted. He always managed to get his way anyway.

"Okay, she's amazing," Maura caved, owning up to her feelings, "She's great. She's beautiful, funny and smart but-"

"She's straight isn't she?"

"I never asked, I mean, she likes men, I know that, but it seems like she likes me. I think, I'm not good at reading people but from what little research I have done, I think we flirt. I mean, I flirt and I think she returns my advances."

"What's her name?"

"Jane Rizzoli. Why-"

Francis reached over her and grabbed her phone, unlocking the keys and searching for Jane's number.

"Francis, what are you doing?"

He jumped out of the bed as Maura reached for the phone, knowing Maura was right on his tracks. He ran out the bedroom and into the kitchen.

"Francis, you're not going to call her are you?"

"As a matter a fact I am."

Maura tried to grab the phone but he ran around her and back to the bedroom, locking the door behind himself and pressed the call button as Maura banged on the door.

"Francis, please don't call her."

"Ssh, it's ringing Maura!"

"No! Francis?"

She beat on the door but he ignored her.

"_Hello?"_

"Yes, is this Jane Rizzoli?"

"_Yes. This is. I thought-"_

"Oh, this is Maura's phone. I'm her cousin-"

"Francis!"

"_Is that Maura yelling?"_

"Yes, she's not to happy with me stealing her phone. She was just telling me about her best friend Jane and I just had to call you. I was wondering if maybe you'd like to stop by later? We can eat pizza, watch movies, make a night of it?"

"_Um, yeah. I guess I could come over there. What time?"_

"Oh, any time- Maura stop banging on the door, I'm on the phone, it's rude! -Um, is six good for you?"

_Jane laughed, "Yeah, six is fine. I may bring Joe Friday over with me though, I can pick up pizza if you want."_

"That's great! Who's Joe Friday?"

"_My dog."_

"How adorable, okay, well get whatever pizza your heart desires and bring Joe, me and Maura will be here."

"_Okay, see you at six."_

"See you then."

Francis hung up the phone and unlocked the door. Maura immediately rushed in.

"What did you do?"

"I simply invited Jane over to watch a movie and eat pizza. She's bringing the pizza and Joe Friday."

Maura didn't know why she felt the undeniable urge to crawl in a hole and die. Francis patted her on the shoulder and led her towards the closet.

"She'll be here at six so you have four hours to find something stunning to wear and get ready for your girlfriend."

Maura blushed. It was nice to think of Jane in that way, even though Jane would probably never return her feelings.

Jane reached up to knock on the door, a pizza under her left arm and Joe Friday on the leash to her left. She stared down at the dog and Joe looked up at her. Both turned their attention to Maura's door which was unlocked and starting to open.

Francis ran his fingers through his shaven red hair before opening the door to Jane and Joe Friday. He gave her an appreciative once over. He could see Maura with her. She was a good foot taller than him, curly dark hair, tan, clad in a black leather jacket, a pale light green tank top and dark denim jeans and sneakers.

He smiled, "Jane I assume?"

"Yes, and you must be Francis."

"I am, come in, Maura is in her room, hiding things from me because apparently I embarrass her."

Jane laughed and let Joe walk in first, surprised that she was actually taking a quick liking to Francis.

"You must be Joe Friday."

Francis picked up the dog, letting Jane unhook the leash before he walked off with her.

"So you're Maura's cousin?" Jane began with the small talk.

"Yes, adoptive cousin. We we're kind of the outcasts of the family so we've spent a lot of time together."

"What was Maura like as a little girl?"

"Maura was a bit shy, kind of awkward. Fashionable though."

Jane chuckled, "That I could've guessed."

"Jane, hi."

Jane sat the pizza down on the kitchen counter and turned to Maura then smirked.

"And even on your off days you look like you stepped off some photo shoot for some fancy magazine."

Maura stared at Jane unsure whether to take it as a compliment or a joke. She stared down at her outfit, black skinny jeans, one of her many pairs of expensive five inch heels, and a beige flowing short sleeve shirt with a white spaghetti strapped shit underneath. She then back at Jane with confusion evident on her face.

"No, Maura you look great."

Maura smiled, "You look nice too, Jane."

Maura saw Francis smile behind Jane and give her a thumbs up then doing some motion which she couldn't quite understand but it seemed kind of dirty. She blushed and quickly decided to come up with some sort of topic.

"So what kind of pizza did you get?"

"I got meat lovers," Jane said with a grin, "Pepperoni, sausage, ham, lots of meat. What movie are we watching?"

"Well, Maura wanted us to watch some kind of nature film," Francis said.

Maura turned an even deeper shade of red as she remembered that conversation. Jane turned to Francis, leaning against the counter as she listened to him. Francis had ever so bluntly told her to save the mating footage for when her and Jane were planning on mating. Of course Francis used language that Maura would never use and though she did call him out on said language, he quickly turned it back on her saying she'd use that language if she and Jane were partaking in mating rituals.

Francis could always get under her skin. She noticed Jane and Francis turn to her.

"So we are watching my favorite movie Boys of Summer," Francis said, "Right Maura."

"I could never argue with you, Francis," Maura replied, "Anyone want anything to drink? Wine?"

"I'll have a beer," Jane said.

"White wine," Francis said, "Jane and I will take the pizza and put in the movie."

Jane grabbed the pizza and a few plates from the cabinet and followed Francis to the living room.

"I've never seen Boys of Summer before," Jane admitted.

"Oh, you'll love it," Francis assured her.

He sat Joe Friday down next to Bass by the couch. Maura opened the fridge and froze for a moment, trying to stop the butterflies from fluttering in her stomach. Jane hadn't even been in her place for a full five minutes and she had Maura on edge. Maura grabbed a bottle of beer and a bottle of wine. She pulled two glasses out of the cabinet and poured the wine.

When she brought the drinks in the living room, Bass and Joe were lying comfortably on the floor Francis was sitting on the floor in front of the couch and Jane next to him with her legs under the coffee table. Maura handed a glass of wine to Francis and a bottle of beer to Jane before taking a seat on the couch beside Jane.

Jane and Francis stared up at her.

"What?"

"You're too good to sit on the floor?" Jane asked.

"No, I-"

"Then get down here," Jane said.

Maura looked at Francis who nodded and smiled. She slid down next to Jane and accepted the plate of pizza. Trying to avoid too much eye contact with Jane.

About an hour and twenty minutes into the movie, ten slices of pizza, two and a half beers and three glasses of wine later Jane was deeply entranced in the movie, Maura was trying not to stare at Jane for too long and Francis was giving Maura cues to make a move soon. Bass had moved into the kitchen and Joe was finishing off some of Jane's pizza crust in the corner.

Maura noticed Francis waving behind Jane's back and turned to him.

'Make a move,' he mouthed.

Maura shook her head, 'No.'

'Tell her how you feel!'

'I- I can't.'

Francis sighed, then turned to Jane.

"Um, Maura, I need your help with something in the kitchen."

He stood up and walked into the kitchen, turning around as Maura walked in after him.

"Tell her," he whispered.

"I can't," Maura replied. She looked down at the linoleum, crossing her arms across her chest, "What if she doesn't feel the same way? What if I ruin our friendship? Jane is one of the few friends I have, and I don't have a lot. I can't."

Francis looked out at Jane still watching the movie intently. He turned back to Maura.

"Maura, I know people, I can read people like a book. Hell, I get paid to do it. I'm telling you to take a chance because I know that it could work out. Yes, she is your best friend and even if she does turn you down, I don't think that it will effect your friendship in the way you think. She won't hurt you Maura, I don't think she could even if she tried. But you have to at least tell her. It'll hurt more if you don't."

She took his words into consideration.

"Do you really think you could take it if you didn't tell Jane your feelings and it turns out that hey, she does like women? Do you think you could take it if she showed up to functions and events with women who aren't you on her arm? At least this way you can say you gave it a try."

He grabbed her shoulders, looking her straight in the eyes.

"Tell her, okay Maura? You love her, and I have a pretty good feeling she loves you too."

He shook her shoulders a bit, causing her to crack a smile.

"I'll be in the guest room with my ear plugs in, in case any type of mating rituals start."

Maura smiled and watched him retreat to the back. She headed back into the living room and took a seat next to Jane. Jane glanced over at her.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Yes," Maura replied, "I'm great. Just thinking."

"Uh-huh."

Jane turned her attention back to the movie after deciding not to question Maura further, though it seemed like something was on the blonde's mind.

Maura continued to gaze at Jane. Jane always made her feel funny. He heart rate increased, she tended to ramble, she'd begin to feel weak at the knees, she got a fuzzy warm feeling in her chest and her head. Francis was right. If she didn't take the chance now she just might regret it somewhere down the line. She didn't think she could take it if Jane ever ended up with someone else, especially another woman when the opportunity was right here in front of her.

She cautiously reached out to brush the strand of hair from Jane's face that was obstructing her view of Jane's side profile. She noticed Jane's eyes shift to her and a slight smirk on the detective's face.

"What?" Jane asked.

Maura sighed, _here goes nothing_, "I love you, Jane."

Jane gave her a smile, "I love you too, M."

Maura looked towards the television then back at Jane. She obviously misunderstood.

"No, I mean I…"

Maura took a chance and kissed Jane on the lips, cupping her left cheek with her right hand. She felt Jane stiffen slightly and pulled away after three seconds.

"I love you, Jane. And I know this could ruin our friendship, but I just couldn't take it if I didn't take the chance and never told you how I felt and you ended up with someone else, especially another woman, I couldn't handle that. I just wanted to let you know, so… now you know."

She wasn't looking Jane in the eyes but she could feel Jane's eyes on her. She stood up quickly, grabbing her empty plate and wine glass and taking them to the kitchen.

"I should clean up, now," she mumbled, rushing away quickly.

She placed the dishes in the sink, ignoring the footsteps approaching her. She felt Jane's hand on her wrist and loosened her grip on the sponge.

"Maura."

She continued to stare at the sink until Jane turned her around to face her,

"Maura, look at me."

She hesitantly looked up and Jane and instantly felt Jane's presence overpower her. Maura felt as if she could drown in Jane's eyes, arms, presence, in everything that Jane was.

Jane moved her hands to Maura's waist as she leaned closer to the doctor. She brushed a stray strand of hair from Maura's face, letting the back of her fingers brush across Maura's cheek.

"Jane-"

"Just… shut up, Maura."

Jane pulled Maura against her as their lips collided. Maura melted. She barely registered Jane moving her against the counter for support until her lower back came in contact with it. Maura brought her hands up to Jane's neck, letting her finger get tangled up in Jane's dark hair. She took a breath as Jane broke the kiss and rested her forehead against Maura's.

"I love you too, Maura."

Maura grinned at Jane and Jane chuckled.

"That has got to be the most goofiest grin I have ever seen," Jane told her, "I think I can put an even goofier one on your face if you want to take this… somewhere else."

Maura blushed, "I'd like that."

Jane kissed Maura again then untangled herself from Maura's grasp and headed back to Maura's bedroom. She smirked when she finally heard Maura's heels clacking behind her, speeding to catch up.

"Be as loud as you want! My ear plugs are now in!"

Jane laughed, grabbing Maura's arm and hooking it with her own. Maura buried her face into Jane's shoulder and sighed. They stopped in their tracks when they got to Maura's bedroom door. Maura glanced up at Jane to see her smiling back.

"I'm glad you said something."

Maura smiled, "Me too."

* * *

There it is. Yeah, oh the song is by Demi Lovato. A lot of people have low expectations for disney stars but she's pretty awesome. She even co wrote this song with Jon McLaughlin, if memory serves me correct, and I was thinking of doing another Maura and Jane story for Demi's song Catch Me or one of the songs I've just written. Music is inspiring me a lot lately and I've been writing songs and fanfics like a maniac. I should probably finish Yellow and post it but I'm have like two different versions and only one typed up, the other I can't exactly get out right.


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